The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead Release Day Blitz!!

I am so excited to be part of the Release Day Blitz for The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead today! I still haven't got my hands on it but I cannot wait till I can read it because I keep reading glowing reviews from my trusted bloggy friends!

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed copy of the book and a $25 Sephora Gift Card courtesy of Richelle, Penguin Teen, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

THE GLITTERING COURT by Richelle Mead

Pub. Date: April 5, 2016

Publisher: Razorbill

Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook

The Selection meets Reign in this dazzling trilogy of interwoven novels about three girls on a quest for freedom and true love from #1 internationally bestselling
author Richelle Mead.

"Brilliant and original, Mead’s new series starts off with a bang and will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the very end."

—School Library Journal

For a select group of girls, the Glittering Court offers a shot at a life they’ve only ever dreamed of, one of luxury, glamour, and leisure. To high-born Adelaide, whose wealthy family is forcing her into a loveless marriage, the
Glittering Court represents something else: the chance to chart her own destiny, and adventure in an unspoiled, prosperous new land across the sea.

After a chance meeting with the dazzling Cedric Thorn, Adelaide poses as a servant to join the crop of impoverished girls he promises to transform into proper ladies. But her familiarity with upper class life comes with a price: she must hide her identity from her new friends, mysterious refugee Mira and
fiery former laundress Tamsin, and most importantly, from Cedric himself—even though she’s falling in love with him. 

Everything begins to crumble when Cedric discovers Adelaide’s ruse, and she catches the eye of a powerful young governor, who wants her for a wife. She didn’t leave the gilded cage of her old life behind just to become someone else's property. But nothing is as daunting—or as wonderful—as the potent, forbidden attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. One that, if acted on, would make them both outcasts in a wild, dangerous, uncharted world, and possibly lead them to their deaths.

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Exclusive Excerpt:

About the author: 

Richelle Mead has written over twenty-five novels for teens and adults. She is the author of the international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series and its spinoff series, Bloodlines. Her recent standalone novel, Soundless, draws upon Chinese mythology and history, and her forthcoming series, The Glittering Court, follows the adventures of girls destined for arranged marriages in a fantasy world inspired by colonial America.

A lifelong reader, Richelle has always had a particular fascination with mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses to wear on tour. She is a self-professed coffee addict, works in her pajamas, and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

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GIVEAWAY

1 winner will receive a hardcover of THE GLITTERING COURT & a $25 Sephora Gift Card.

US Only.

Ends on April 15th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of Soundless by Richelle Mead!!

Hello there guys!!

Monday is here and for me is my 6th day on a row of work (even if it's a night) but yeah, technicalities aside... I really need a day off!

I've been in a bit of a reading and review writing slump this past week and I hope I'll be getting over it this week! And I'm trying my best by starting the week right, with a new review for Mark This Book Monday!


Soundless by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Soundless is not my first Richelle Mead book, because I'm in love with her Age of X series, but those are adult dystopia/fantasy, and since I almost am scared to admit, I haven't read her Vampire Academy series, this was my first Richelle Mead YA.

I was quite excited about Soundless since it was a standalone fantasy book, but once I got my hands on an ARC at BEA, it was quite a tiny ARC so I began to worry about the world building and the full ARC of a fantasy story in a book with less than 300 pages!

BUT I should have not worried! Somehow the author managed to wove a complete story with a fantastic world building and some lovely Chinese mythology included, that made for a very welcome change!

Our main character, Fei, lives in a village on top of mountain and their livelihood depends on their mining of precious metals since they send them mountain down in exchange of all the food they cannot grow. Everyone in their village has been deaf for generations so they depend on the artists to paint everyday their news and happenings. But now the villagers are also going blind, starting by those that work in the mines, they're sending less metals down and getting more foods up.

Things are getting dire, and when Fei's sister starts losing her sight, Fei feels like she needs to do something more. And then she recovers her hearing and that changes everything.

The world building is done in such a lovely progression. We get to know the village, and their way of life and surroundings quite well through the work of Fei and her interactions with others. Then when Fei starts her way down the mountain with Li Wei, we see more and more of what's in this world other than their little village cut from everything and everyone.

As they discover that they really knew nothing of what's going on down the mountain and so many secrets are revealed, we meet a few new characters here and there. Some of them felt more vague, like more archetypes than characters, and others were more fully fleshed.

The relationship between Fei and sister is the main motivator of Fei's quest and I was quite glad to see that for a change, instead of the romantic feelings. Even if there are romantic feelings, but for Fei, her sister is first and foremost.

I don't know a lot of Chinese mythology and I always mean to read more of it, but getting a smaller story based on it like this one, it's always a good reminder and a good motivator to do so!

The feel of this book is not of epic fantasy, but more of folk tale or fairy tale (and I agree with Jessica from Rabid Reads on that) but that for me was not a bad thing at all!

The descriptions felt very visual and rich and I feel the author did a great job at trying to describe and explain hearing when everyone around you has been deaf for generations, and you have to try and find books written by people that could hear, and figure out what sounds are what words! Made me really think about how many things us lucky enough to be in possession of all our senses take them for granted!

The ending was what I had expected more or less with a few clues that we were getting and it was both open but with enough resolution to imagine what might continue to happen in the village. Once again, it felt very fairy tale-like!

Very well deserved 4 stars for this one!!



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Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead!!

Hello everyone!!

I'm starting the week and Mark This Book Monday with an ARC review, one that I was extremely happy to be approved for via Edelweiss, which is also quite a rare exception! As such it is also counted for my 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge!

The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When I got my ARC of Gameboard of the Gods last year, it was my first Richelle Mead book, and I was very pleasantly surprised with how much I loved her adult new series. It was quite obvious that I was going to try and get my hands on the second book as soon as possible, so when I got approved for an ARC of The Immortal Crown on Edelweiss I did a lil celebratory jig!

As always with sequels, I'll try to keep my review spoiler free, but you can expect spoilers for the first book's happenings. We start more or less where we were left on Gameboard of the Gods, with Mae and Justin on an uncertain truce and the new very confusing situation of gods existing and trying to regain power and followers.

Since the bulk of the world building was done in the first book, here the focus is more on plot progression, but there's still more world building since they go visit Arcadia, the neighbouring and not too friendly country down south. As with the first book, nothing and no one is exactly what it seems, and all players on the board are mere pawns on a higher game played by the gods, even those who think they are in a position of power.

As the previous book we have 3 main POVs, Justin, Mae and Tessa, and as before all of them are important to the main overall plot line, but this time it's even more obvious how important Tessa's POV is to the story. Justin and Mae make a fantastic team and I love them both as flawed and genuine characters, their interactions show how much they've progressed despite all their false starts to turn their partnership into a fully involved love relationship.

Mae kicked the influence of a goddess off in the previous book but seems that another one is trying to get her attention and alliance by sending her visions about something dear to her. Justin is trying to avoid fully committing himself to Odin's service and worship because despite all the advantages that the ravens keep on insisting he'd gain, he's still has plenty of reservations.

Mae and Justin get involved with a diplomatic mission to Arcadia, which Mae is very interested in making for reasons of her own. The differences between the RUNA and Arcadia are clear and the backwards ways of Arcadia, with its theocracy and its mistreat of women, are a challenge for the women of the RUNA delegation. And it was very hard on me too, it kept on making my blood boil time and again, it seemed like the religion of Arcadia is the biggest mix of women-hating-patriarchy-bullshit possible... it certainly reminded me of other theocracies out there in the real world. Cloistered women, burkas anyone?

Justin finds himself being an advocate of Odin and using the god's gifts to try and navigate the unexpected challenges that a place with a strongly worshipped god presents, even more when some machinations against the RUNA are discovered. In the meantime Mae, following her goddess visions, strikes on her own trying to acomplish a mission of her own, causing quite a bit of trepidation on the delegation and Justin.

The ending was quite a whirlwind of emotions, surprises and some twists that left me with my mouth hanging! The final curve ball that was thrown at us in the last page was not exactly a cliffhange, but wow, talk about unexpected!! I cannot wait for book 3 now!! LOKI! Someone else *spoilers*!!

Very well deserved 4 stars, and I'm gonna be adding a half star one only for that final page!!




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Mark This Book Monday: ARC of Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead!

Today's Mark This Book Monday is a scheduled entry, cause right now I'm in India on vacation, spending time with the bf and reading!

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

This is the first book I've read by Richelle Mead, and I have to say it was a great first impression!

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review, and I was very excited about it, cause the premise of the book sounded quite unique, and since I'm an absolute mythology nerd/geek/enthusiast, however you may wanna call it, any book with Gods and Myths involved will get my attention.

The book is told in three alternating points of view, that of the two main characters, Mae and Justin, and the third and not as main but still relevant, Tessa.

Mae is an elite soldier from the RUNA (Republic of United North America) that falls in disgrace and is sent on a mission to retrieve a former citizen and employee of the government that was exiled to the Provinces, Justin.

The worldbuilding in this book is massive, and I absolutely loved it. It might have slowed the pace of the plot and story on occasion, but every page I turned I was hungry for more details on this world with so many things that resonate with the ones we have, but so different at its core.

Mae and Justin are two characters massively different from one another, from where they come from, to what they do and the way they think, but both are absolutely the best on their field. Mae is a praetorian, an elite soldier, and Justin is the best servitor the goverment ever had. They meet up by chance before what should have been their official meet-up, and what happens between them that night just leads to a very complicated relationship where they both have to work together, and learn to trust each other enough to face danger and do the job they have been teamed to do.

It's very intriguing to see a take on a society that has been built without officially sanctioned religions and that actually mistrusts and keeps an extremely tight control on any religion association. And even more intriguing to see hints of what might be behind and what the RUNA government don't want to see. All the different mythology woven in the plot with hints and mentions really captivated me.

I don't want to say much more cause I risk spoiling parts of the book, but it has it all, a bit of romance, witty remarks, a strong female lead, post-apocalyptic setting, family issues, moral issues, mythology and some comic relief on occasion. You even get a pair of ravens!

All in all, a very satifiying read, very well deserved 4 stars, and I'm really excited for the next book!